Kennesaw, GA (11/10/2016) - Yamaha
Motor Corp., USA supported racers dominated
the leading national and regional Side-by-Side
(SxS) and ATV racing series in 2016 aboard the
YXZ1000R pure sport SxS and class-leading YFZ450R
sport ATV. The exciting season was recently
capped with Yamaha-supported factory racers
Dustin Nelson and Corry Weller claiming the
top two spots in the Lucas Oil Regional Off-Road
Racing Series (LORORS) of Arizona and the recent
Lucas Oil Racing Shootout.
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Yamaha's Dustin Nelson clinched
the Production 1000 UTV Championship in
the 2016 Lucas Oil Regional Off-Road Racing
Series |
This past weekend, Nelson and Weller were named
champion and runner-up, respectively, of the
Production 1000 class in the Arizona LORORS.
Following his LORORS championship in the Southern
California series, Nelson finished the Arizona
LORORS with seven wins, never falling below
second place. Combined with Weller’s wins, the
YXZ1000R led 9 of 10 rounds, and held the top
two spots on the podium in eight. The two racers
also took the top in-class positions in this
year’s Lucas Oil Racing Shootout, with Nelson
finishing in first. In October, Nelson also
won Arizona’s LORORS Challenge Cup in the Production
1000 UTV class while piloting the YXZ1000R.
“Yamaha’s YXZ1000R has changed the sport of
Side-by-Side racing, and it’s been super exciting
to be such a big part of its inaugural year
on the track and on the podium,” Weller said.
“From the West Coast Lucas Oil series to the
Midwest TORC series, we’re collecting trophies
and championships. The YXZ makes such a great
racing package, and the competition’s belt-based
CVTs just can’t match the YXZ’s driveline efficiency
and durability.”
Weller also won The Off-Road Championship
(TORC) series last month in the series’ first
ever Pro Stock UTV Championship. Weller’s victory
at TORC marked the YXZ1000R’s first national
championship as well as the first championship
won by a woman in any TORC class. In addition,
three-time PRO 2WD and current PRO 4WD championship
truck driver C.J. Greaves drove a YXZ in the
final TORC round and Cup Race in Crandon, Wisconsin,
sweeping the weekend in the Pro Stock UTV class
and capping a dominating presence in the series.
"The success of the YXZ1000R in just
over a year after its launch is a testament
to Yamaha’s undeniable leadership in the world
of off-road racing,” said Steve Nessl, Yamaha’s
ATV and SxS group marketing manager. “We’re
excited to see the YXZ dominate the racing circuit
in its debut, and look forward to this continuing
for years to come, as the YFZ450R already has
– this year being no exception.”
Winning his fifth straight ATV motocross (MX)
championship, AMA Pro ATV champion Chad Wienen
made history this year, becoming the second
all-time greatest racer in ATV MX history. In
Wienen’s five years of ATV MX racing, he won
a total of 30 rounds, while placing on the podium
in all 52 rounds he competed in aboard his Wienen
Motorsports/SSI YFZ450R.
Bringing another win for the YFZ450R, N-Fab/Am-Pro/Moto-XPerts
Yamaha-sponsored Walker Fowler won his second
straight Grand National Cross Country (GNCC)
championship in the XC1 Pro ATV class at only
23 years of age. Fowler dominated with a significant
lead throughout the series, with seven first
place finishes, clinching his championship before
the final race.
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Walker
Fowler celebrates his second consecutive
GNCC Pro Championship with family and
friends at the Powerline Park GNCC |
“For another consecutive year, Chad and Walker
have proven the YFZ450R is the sport ATV to
beat,” said Donnie Luce, Yamaha’s Off-Road /
ATV coordinator. “With the two being such powerhouses
on the off-road circuit for so long, it’s great
to see drivers with Dustin and Corry’s impressive
resume enter – and dominate – the SxS racing
world.”
Nelson, Weller, Wienen and Fowler will be
recognized on their racing success this year
at Yamaha’s Wall of Champions event in December.
This special ceremony symbolizes Yamaha racers’
accomplishments and contributions from the racetrack
to their local communities annually. This is
the first year Weller joins the wall, alongside
Nelson, Wienen and Fowler, who were added in
previous years, alongside other Yamaha Racing
greats such as GNCC Hall of Famer Bill Ballance,
and AMA Motocross Hall of Famer Rick Johnson.
About
Yamaha Motor Corp., U.S.A.
Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., (YMUS), a leader in the motorsports market, makes the toughest, most capable and versatile ATV and Side-by-Side vehicles. The company’s ever-expanding product offerings also include motorcycles, outboard motors, personal watercraft, snowmobiles, boats, outdoor power equipment, accessories, apparel and much more. YMUS products are sold through a nationwide network of dealers in the United States.
Headquartered in Cypress, Calif., since its incorporation in 1976, Yamaha also has facilities in Wisconsin and Georgia, as well as factory operations in Tennessee and Georgia. For more information on Yamaha, visit www.yamaha-motor.com.
